Vehicle-elevator.



H. E.. SHUMWAY & W- T. SGHOLZ.

VEHIGLE ELEVATOR.

APELIQATION 1711;]; we. 19, 1913.

1,1 1 5, 1 1 7., Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

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hurrah sra'rns ra rnn r curios HARVEY E. SHUMWAY AND WALTER T. SGIEOLZ, 0F FRANKFURT, KANSAS.

VEHI OLE-ELEVA'IO R.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 2'1, 1914f.

i Application filed. August 1.9, 1913. Serial No. 785,586.

vating vehicles from the ground so that the dead weight thereof is removed from the tires when the same is not in use, and more particularly to that type of elevating devices which automatically lifts the vehicle to an elevated position. In this connection the invention has special utility in its application to the handling of automobiles.

-. The object of theinvention is to provide a simple and substantial device that will automatically convert the forward motion of the vehicle into an upward motion that will raise the same so that the-wheels are out of traction contact with the ground. In addition to being automatically raised, the platform which supports the car is likewise re tained in its raised position, so that manual attention to'this feature is not necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide auxiliary means for raising the platform of the elevator upon which the car rests to a higher position than that brought about automatically by the momentum of the ma chine, which only carries the device to a semi-elevated position. In addition to this, it will be observed that the platform is so constructed that the rear portion thereof is tilted higher than the front in order to fully support both axles of a motor car.

With these and many other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is betterlunderstood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the platform elevated to its first position, and to its second position by dotted lines. Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional view on the line 4.-4: of Fig. .3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the auxiliary means employed to elevate the carto its highest position.

Slmilar reference characters designate correspondmg parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring specifically to the construction illustrated in the several figures of the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a pair of parallel stationary bed frame members to each of which are pivoted as at 2 the rocking supporting levers 3 that are provided with arm extensions 4, and prevented from tilting too far backward by the stops S on the bed frames 1. These brackets 3 are prefer ably of triangular orbell-crank formation.

Above and between the frames 1 and the rocking supporting levers ,3, there is" movably suspended the vehicle lifting platform 5 which includes a pair of parallel frame bars 6 whose front ends are formed with abutment flanges 7 and which are connected to each other transversely bythe braces 8, bent as at 9 to provide clearance for the mechanism on the lower part of a motor car. Each of the said frame bars 6 carry a resilient bumper head B and have secured to their under sides the depending bracket members 10, the lower portions of which are pivotally connected as at 11 to swinging hanger links 12 which latter have their opposite ends pivotally connected at 13 to the arm extensions 4 of the rocking supporting levers 3. The said arm extensions 4: of the rear rocking levers 3 are somewhat longer than those of the front brackets in order to make the rear portion of the platform 5 higher than the front to provide a firm resting placefor the rear axle F of a machine which is usually higher than the front E. It will be observed thatthe pairs of the said rocking levers 3 pivoted on the same bed frame are also pivotally connected to each other at a point approximately midway between the pivot points 2 and 13 by a connecting bar 14: which causes the said rocking levers 3 to move in unison when swung on their pivots 2. The front end of said connecting bar 14: is provided with an upwardly extending arm 15 that terminates in an inwardly projecting keeper flange 16 at its front end, which serves as a rest for the under side 6 of the frame bars 6 when the platform 5 is elevated, thereby preventing the same from swinging back to its initial lowered position.

It may be often desirable to elevate a veraising mechanism which may be of any I suitable construction, but for the purpose of illustration is shown in the drawings as ineluding the link members 17 which are pivotally connected atone end to the rear depending bracket members 10 and whose opposite ends converge and are pivotally connected to the shaft 18. The said shaft 18 has a swivel connection 19 with a screw shaft 20 which is threaded through a two part hinged'collar 21 that is attached to a support 22. The: screw shaft 20 is steadied and guided through a bearing 23 which supports the intermediate portion of the same and guides the entire shaft when the threaded collar 21 is spread apart to permit the shaft 20 to slide through the base 22. To facilitate the turning of the screw shaft 20 the same is provided at its free end with .a crank 2 1.

The normal position of the device is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where it will be observed that the rocking supporting levers 3 are resting against the stops S and the vehicle elevating platform 5 is in its lowermost position which is practically horizontal.

-The abutment flanges 7 of the frame bars 6 are normally set behind the keeper flanges 16, and the auxiliary raising means has its hinged collar 21 closed and in engagement with the threaded shaft 20. The vehicle running under its own power is guided astride the platform 5 and upon striking the resilient bumpers B with its front axle, moves the vehicle platform 5 forward which pushes against the keeper flanges 16 of the bars 14 by its abutment flanges 7. .Since the said keeper flanges are a part of the bar 1A which connects each longitudinally alined pair of :the tilting brackets 3, the forward movement of theplatform-5 pushing against the keeper flanges 16 also moves the bar 14, which by reason of its pivoted connection with the rocking levers 3 pulls the same away from the stops S and tilts the arm extension 4 thereof forward. The rocking of the levers 3 on the pivots 2 and the swinging forward of the platform 5 on the hanger links 12 raises the platform 5 and thereby lifts the abutment flanges 7 above'the surface of the keeper'flanges 16 thus permitting the undersides 6 of the bars 6 to slide on the top thereof until the forward sliding movement of the platform is arrested by the inclined edges 10 of the front depending brackets 10. This completes the automatic raising of the elevating platform 5, but in case it is desired to lift the machine higher, the vehicle platform 5v is then raised by the auxiliary raising means A.

In order to raise the said platform 5 to the portions of the elevating higher position, the screw shaft 20 is retated by the crank 24: so that the same moves through the threaded collar 21 which pushes the shaft 19 forward and'thereby causes a pull to be exerted on the rear brackets 10 of the frame bars 6 through the link members 17. This pull forward upon the front brackets 10 whose inclined front "edges 10 are in sliding contact with the keeper flanges 16, causes the platform 5 to rise,.the rear thereof being supported by the auxiliary raising means A which remains extended as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, until it is desired to lower the same. To efiect the latter, the said vehicle elevating platform is released by the hinged collar 21 being spread apart so as to disengage its threads from those of thescrewshaft 20 thereby permit ting thevehicle to descendby gravity to its normal position, or if desired, the screw shaft 20 may be rotated until the same result is obtained. f

It is believed that the many features and advantages of the present invention will be understood without further description.

We claim:

1. A vehicle elevating device including a bed frame, an elevating platform, supporting brackets carried by said platform, rocking elevating levers pivotally secured to the bed frame, swinging means connecting the rocking elevating levers with said supporting brackets, and auxiliary means for elevating and retaining the Vehicle platform in an elevated position.

2. A vehicle elevating device including a bed frame, an elevating platform having depending bracket portions, rocking elevating levers pivot-ally secured to the bed frame, swinging means connecting the said rocking elevating levers with the depending platform, bumper means carried by said platform and adapted to be engaged by a moving vehicle to impart motion to the rocking elevating levers, and auxiliary means for elevating and retaining the vehicle platform in an elevated position.

3. A vehicle elevating device including a bed frame, an elevating platform. supportingb-rackets rigid with said platform, longitudinally paired rocking elevating levers having arm extensions eccentrically pivoted to said bed frame, swinging links connecting with the upper ends of said longitudinally paired rocking levers and with the lower ends of said brackets, means connecting the longitudinally paired rocking levers,

said means adapted to be engagedby the platform in its forward movement, and

auxiliary means for elevating and retaining the vehicle platform in an elevated position.

4. A vehicle elevating device including a stationary bed frame, rocking supporting levers pivoted to said bed-frame, a vehicle supporting platform pivotally hung on said rocking levers, means for connecting certain of said rocking levers having a portion adapted to be engaged by the platform in its forward movement, and auxiliary means for elevating and automatically retaining the vehicle supporting platform in an elevated position.

5. A vehicle elevating device including a stationary bed frame, rocking supporting levers pivoted to said bed frame and arranged in longitudinal pairs on each side thereof, a vehicle supporting platform piv otally hung on said rocking levers, bars for connecting the longitudinally paired levers,

- -means carried by said bars adapted to be I engaged by the said platform when the same moves forward, and means for elevating and retaining the vehicle supporting platform in an elevated position.

6. A vehicle elevating device comprising astationary bed frame including a pair of frame bars, rocking supporting levers pivoted to the bars of said bed frame and arranged in longitudinal pairs on each frame bar, means for connecting the longitudinally paired brackets so that they move in unison, hanger links having their upper ends pivotally connected to'the said rocking supporting levers, a vehicle supportingplat- 1 form having pivotal connections with the lower ends of said hanger links, resilient bumpers carried by the forward end of said vehicle supporting frame adapted 'to be struck by moving the vehicle to automatically raise the said platform, and auxiliary means for raising the platform to a higher position.

7 A vehicle elevating and supporting device comprising a stationary bed frame including a pair of frame bars, rocking supporting levers pivoted to said bed frame and arranged in longitudinal pairs on each frame bar, a bar for connecting the paired brackets so that they move in unison, said bar having an upright arm at its forward end which terminates in an inturned keeper flange, hanger links having their upper ends pivoted to the rocking supporting levers, a vehicle supporting frame including a pair of parallel frame bars connected by transverse braces, brackets depending from the bars of said vehicle sup-porting platform and having pivotal connections with the lower ends of said hanger links, resilient bumpers carried by the forward end of the vehicle supporting platform adapted to be struck by a moving vehicle to automatically raise said platform, and auxiliary means for raising the platform to a higher position.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses H. KENNEDY, T. RHODES.

Copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

